The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 132

possiblo, out of memory itself. To this hardest thing of all God would gi vo his graci<Jug nnd effoctual help, for its very endoavour's sake.-B. Vere. 23--41.-A typical exMbition of hwman nature. Thi8 section of the histr,ry marks itself off-an episode which gave apostlel! and disciples, albeit in a very modified time, to rest, nnd me.de them spectators ofan ample display of certain aspects of human nature, 'l'he world, ever ready to ~rm against the truth, and especially against Christ, the first distinct and bright embodiment of truth, ill left eometimes to ti<1ht 0 out its own battles. And the amount of smoke in which they end is sometimes, ae in the present case, something wonderful. Notice- I. 'l'HE ADMITTED BOOT 01!' GRIEVANCE WITH 'l'HE WORLDLY HAN. The illustration which Demetrius here affords of what is often deepest down in the heart of the world- love of money gain, faith in money gain, the illnsion that money gain is the one thin\; needful, and by which alone men live-seems for a moment pleasantly relieved by hi~ apparent free admission of it. Any sense of relief, however, a.rising from this considera- tion is speedily largely discounted: 1. By the fact that the ready admission of it but speaks the deeper root of the ma.lady, and that it is a fa.et grown to be viewed as venial, perhaps natural, nay, very probably necessary, and therefore true to right nature. 2. By the fact that the admission, though apparently free enough, was, when it occurred, only of a semi-public character. Demetrius owns and unfolds the state of his own mind, not to the wide world, but to his own "craftsmen," whose sympathies would lie very near his own-and he knew it. II. THE UNDEBTAKIBG TO ENLIST A VASTLY WIDER CIRCUMFERENCE 01!' l!'EELDIG, BY MIXING THE PERSONAL on AT MOST CLASS GRIEVANCE UP WITH TIIE RELIGIOUS SENSE OF" ALL ASIA AND THE WORLD." The opportunity was no doubt a tempting one. And though too evident to allow of its inferring any great talent on the part of Demetrius, yet he skilfully avails himself of it. Some persons will miss very tempting oppor- tunities, which are as evident a.s they may be tempting. "The children of this world a.re," however," wiser in their generation," as a rule, "than the children oflight; "ancl this was one instance of it. It took most successfully. 1. Itis the speedy outcry of" the whole city." And the movement spread so rapidly from the craftsmen class interest, that when the whole city is "come together" (ver. 32), "the more part knew not wherefore." It made little difference, They had their throats and their limbs with them, and a. couple of victims," Ga.ius and Aristarchus" (ver. 29), travelling "companions of Paul." 2. Most combustible fuel was forthcoming to add to the fire, in the person of a Jew (ver. 34), who was probably unpopular with his own people. He was thrust into pro- minence by his own people (ver. 33), either that he might be their scapegoat and bear the brunt, or possibly because he was judged to be the most competent man. Of this view there is some evidence in his ready preparedness to address the surging multitude and to "make his defence." Anyway, for two hours more did the conflagration bum more fiercely for that one move. And it was a move which derived its force from "the burning religions question," 3. The success of the scheme of Demetrius is illustrated most significantly in what it elicited from the lips of the" town-clerk:" (vers. 37, 38), especially in his huge fallacy of asserting to acclamation (which no doubt rang again in that theatre, but to the flat denial of truth and time succeeding and now "of all the world"), " Seeing that these things cannot be spoken against." III. THE ooLLAPSE, However uninformed in religion the town~lerk was, it is plain that he was a competent man. 1. He defends Gaius and Arista.rebus, and presumably Paul. He finds and pronounces it boldly that" these men" have done nothing a.miss. They are neither sacrilegious " robbers" nor " blasphemers" albeit of nn idol I 2. He reduces the swelling hazards of Demetrius to their proper proportions. It is a mere matter of himself and his friend& And it is a mere matter of whether he can prove any- thing that will entitle him to redress. If he can, he must go to the right place to do it, and take the right course. Probably Demetrius, having set the fire going, had some time ago dropped into the background. But if not, if he and his party had stayed to keep up to the full the excitement, they must inevitably have felt now very small. It were not to have been wondered at if the multitude had turned upon them, with the threat of lynch law. 3, He apprises the whole city that disaster may be the sequel of a whole day's wasted uproa1· and undefended concourse. And the people seemed open to hi11  13G THE ACl'S OF THE APOSTLES. [ell. ::ux. 1-4L